Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, the Secretary of State for Transport gave an update this Tuesday morning on the resumption of post-deconfinement traffic. He also mentioned the reopening of Orly and confirmed that the French will be able to travel everywhere in France this summer including overseas and " if the epidemiological situation allows ".
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Invited on BFM TV, the Secretary of State recalled the rules in force concerning the limit of travel more than 100km from his home, introduced since D-day of the deconfinement. With the approach of the Ascension weekend, usually a big cross-country meeting on the roads of France, he indicated " that there will be checks ", while specifying that " 200,000 checks have been last weekend ”and“ 950 PV ”prepared.
" Not to annoy the French, " he said. " But to ensure compliance with these rules which prevent (...) the spread of the virus ". Until June 2, France is in a “ temporary ” situation and “ we will have at the end of May an important meeting point to plan both the month of June, the opening of new activities and more usually summer vacation , "he said.
When will SNCF resume 100% of its traffic? " It is not so much a question of capacity, " replied Jean-Baptiste Djebbari. " The SNCF is capable of putting all its traffic capacity in mid-June (...) the CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou told me that he is currently observing the same level of reservations as last year (...) trips can resume, there will be 100% of traffic at the end of June ”. The Secretary of State clarified that the head of the SNCF " made a commitment, the State asked him to charge the same rates as before the crisis (...) there will be no rate inflation ", He insisted.
Furthermore, concerning air traffic, he recalled that the internal borders of the Schengen area will remain closed until June 15. " We have a guide being published " by the authorities of the sector " who will set the conditions " for flight in Europe. " It is not unthinkable to reopen Orly around June 26, we are working on it, " he explained.
" 50% of tourism requests concern the Overseas ," he said. " Some territories want to see tourism return, others are more careful (...) travel will be allowed everywhere in France including overseas if the epidemiological situation allows ".
While Italy announced last week the reopening of its borders in early June, what about the French who would like to go there and the Italians who would like to come to France? " We want that on both sides of the Alps we have the same measures in terms of health security (...) that means that the temporary period runs until June 2, and there will be new measures ".
Asked about the request made in mid-April by the road carriers who request the suspension of cabotage for six months (delivery between two French cities by a foreign carrier and whose starting point is outside of France, Editor's note), Jean-Baptiste Djebbari has not been favorable. " The flows are what they are, if we do not want a shortage effect in terms of supply (...) in the state it is complicated ". On the other hand " there is a need for social regulation at EU level, this seems to me to be discussed ".
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Finally, the Secretary of State reacted to the request made last week by Carole Delga, the socialist president of the Occitane region. The elected representative requires free access to highways throughout the summer, in order to support the tourism sector. " This position, we understand, is a bit political, " he said. " On a practical and contractual level, it is quite ineffective (...) Mrs. Delga knows very well that all of this is tied and managed by contracts which, moreover, were not negotiated by us but which continue to apply ”, recalled Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, in reference to the privatization of French motorways in the 2000s. In addition, motorway companies were hit hard during the two months of confinement and lost“ 80% ” of their income.